Jessica Wang HD ’14 stopped by the CEC for a second visit on February 18th. She is still with L’Oréal, working as a Global Marketing and Product Innovation Manager, and will be shifting towards the makeup division next month. With the same growing passion and love for product development and beauty, she filled us in on her new experiences.
What is something you learned at Cornell that you exercise at work everyday?
How to manage stress and how to manage a lot. It’s interesting because when a lot of people get to the workforce they’re working for ten hours a day, and I can see how some people really stress about that. I think that Cornell does train you to be able to manage that. Like I said, I think the biggest shift is that you have less control over your time and how to manage the work, but in terms of a ten hour work day and all that stuff, it comes pretty naturally.
You mentioned how being at Cornell felt more structured because you knew what exams you had and what projects to expect, but do you feel that life after college feels in some ways more structured or is it a different sort of structure that’s more free/flexible?
I think it’s a different sort of structure. It’s funny because you kind of make your own personal schedule when you’re in the real world. It’s not really as organized as here. But, your working life is definitely less structured and organized because you’re doing things not just for yourself, but for a bigger team. You can’t always predict what the day is going to be like.
How did human ecology impact your career and mindset towards collaborative work?
I think that Human Ecology was actually a perfect fit for what I do now because my work is very interdisciplinary. It’s important to understand different perspectives. I had to take stats and bio and at the time I thought that I was never going to use either. But, now I can appreciate both a little bit more because I do use them to basic knowledge in my work. The other thing is that at the core of anything, marketing and beauty related, is the person. And I think that the Human Ecology focus on the person is supercritical with anything that you do and every time that I approach my work.
Many students struggle with trying to figure out what direction to go in career wise. How did you navigate and narrow in on your interests as a Human Development major? Do you have any advice for HumEc students in general?
I think people overthink things. It’s important just to think about what you like and talk to other people to understand how you can make that into a career. For example, I loved beauty. I loved marketing. I used my Human Development major to go into those things, so I’m combining all of those passions. I have another friend who loved children but also loved TV, and now she writes TV scripts for children. So, you know, there’s a lot of ways you can combine your interests and understand different paths. But, I think it’s important to not think linearly and be open to go back to the basics of what motivates you and what you’re passionate about because that’s where it starts. Zoom out before you zoom in so you know what your total landscape is and what options are out there before you zoom in on what you want to do. It’s a balance for sure.
How would you say working at L’Oréal has changed your overall attitude towards beauty?
Beauty used to have a reputation for being kind of shallow and feminine. Today it’s moved into something about empowerment and inclusivity, which I think is great. I like being a part of an age where it’s more about positivity. You’re making more statements. It’s something that I like being a part of. I’m viewing the work that I do now through a different lens.